Life in the Fast Layne

ATLANTA  The loss was one thing, a bummer. But something that happened in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s game at Turner Field left the Padres’ veteran catcher, John Baker, a bit dazed and confused as well.

Something contradicted almost everything that he’d come to know as being very, very true over more than a decade behind the plate in professional baseball.

““Apparently,” Baker said with a feigned look of bewilderment, “it’s really easy to pitch in the big leagues.”

Baker was referring to a most "epic" major league debut by a 27-year-old left-hander who’d had a most extraordinary day. Tom Layne -- a pitcher on almost nobody’s radar before he got the call from the Padres on Monday night, a reliever newly converted from starter after he compiled an 0-10 record this season – came out of the visiting bullpen and proceeded to strike out the side against the Atlanta Braves.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever struck out the side before,” said Layne. Seeing the expressions of disbelief in the interviewers before him, Layne said, “I’m dead serious.”

Of course he hadn’t. The Tom Layne Story wouldn’t be complete if he had.

A 26th-round draft choice of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007, Layne has flip-flopped around the minor leagues as both a starter and a reliever, compiling no better than a 38-42 record over six seasons and a 6.93 ERA in two Pacific Coast League campaigns with the Triple-A clubs of the Diamondbacks (Reno) and Padres (Tucson). Prospects for the majors certainly didn’t look strong, especially after he got demoted from Tucson to San Antonio.

“I was 27 years old in Double-A, one of the older guys in the (Texas) League,” said Layne. “I’d been getting beat up as a starter and you’re not going to get to the big leagues doing that.”

Saying he’s been noted as having a “rubber arm” and loved the idea of going to the ballpark every day with the possibility of pitching in the game, Layne welcomed the word from the Padres to make a permanent transition back to a relief role. He began impressing the right people in the Padres organization with his performance out of the ‘pen. What they really liked was the deception of Layne’s delivery, described by both Padres manager Bud Black and Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez as “funky,” the ball coming from two different arm slots.

When the Padres designated southpaw Alex Hinshaw for assignment on Tuesday, they decided to give Layne a try a shot as their only left-handed reliever, bringing the total of rookies in the San Diego bullpen to six. Not a fan of letting newcomers wait nervously for their first action, Black called for Layne with the Braves holding a 6-0 lead.

“The coolest part was coming down the steps and breaking through the wall (to the field),” said Layne. “You see all those people and the chills set in. Once I got to the mound, it felt like any other ballpark I was pitching in.”

With each strikeout, Gonzalez said he could see Black turning around in delight at the bench behind him. Gonzalez was impressed, too, noting that McCann’s a six-time All-Star and Uggla’s been to three Midsummer Classics. Uggla’d homered off Padres starter Clayton Richard earlier in the game.

“Three strikeouts,” said Gonzalez, “and (the swings) weren’t even close.”

Gonzalez said he shouldn’t have been surprised, especially since it was the Padres on the other side. He recalled a past series when Black summoned a “soft-tossing lefty” – presumably, Australian southpaw Josh Spence – who gave the Braves fits.

“The guy couldn’t break a window pane,” said Gonzalez. “One of our scouts said “This guy shouldn’t even be in spring training. He should be on Field One. Can’t get anybody out.' He pitches against us in San Diego and we can’t hit ball out of the infield.

“So I called the scout and said, “You know that guy you said shouldn’t be in spring training? He looked like Sandy Koufax against us.” So you just never know.”